


Cuddling for Warmth

by TuppingLiberty



Series: Tlib February Ficlet Challenge 2018 [1]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Bathing/Washing, Canon Compliant, Future Fic, Huddling For Warmth, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-01
Updated: 2018-02-01
Packaged: 2019-03-12 13:39:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13548468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TuppingLiberty/pseuds/TuppingLiberty
Summary: February Fic Challenge Day 1: Huddling for warmthExcept with Jack and Bitty, it's more like cuddling for warmth: In the future, Bitty goes out to the store, it snows unexpectedly, and he takes a nasty fall. Jack comforts.





	Cuddling for Warmth

**Author's Note:**

> One month. Twenty-eight prompts. Twenty-eight pairings. One ficlet a day. Write Fast.
> 
> The February Ficlet Challenge is a direct result of the October Ficlet Challenge that imaginary_golux and Turn_of_the_Sonic_Screw did in 2017. The basic idea is to write a ficlet every single day for a month, using a new combination of prompt and pairing every day. Anyone is welcome to contribute; here's how to join the fun:
> 
> 1) Create a list of pairings you are willing to write. (Ideally, pick 28 - one for each day of the month!)  
> 2) Check the starwarswritingalliance tumblr every morning for today's prompt, posted at 12:01 am West Coast time.  
> 3) Write a ficlet of at least 200 words within 24 hours of checking the prompt, using the prompt and the pairing from your list.  
> 4) Post your ficlet to this collection!
> 
> The collection will close on Monday, March 5th.

The thing Bitty likes the most about their neighborhood in Providence is that there are many stores within walking distance. Even in winter, he likes to walk to the market, talk with neighbors, pet their dogs, and in general, experience his neighborhood. Often he’ll stop at Mrs. Harris’ and have a little chat. It reminds him of living at the Haus, too. With the flexibility of his social media job, as long as he’s got his phone, he can step out of the house for an hour or two. It's his favorite thing about city living, to be honest. He likes not having to rely on a car like he did in Georgia.

Unless, of course, it's snowing. Then he takes the SUV with the seat warmers. He’s not crazy.

The thing is, it wasn’t _supposed_ to snow today. It wasn’t even supposed to rain, and so Bitty had left the apartment, bundled up for sure, but ready to have a nice, pleasant, if cold, walk to the market. It had started snowing as he walked into the store, and came down hard enough to make Bitty gulp nervously as he looked outside during check out.

Still, it’s okay, he reassures himself. Bitty just packs his backpack carefully with the ingredients for dinner and brings his hood up over his hat and stuffs his hands in mittens. He left Jack napping; no game today, but Jack likes to keep up his routine, so Bitty doesn’t want to bother him with a ride. Plus Jack can use all the rest he can get at this point in his career. Bitty can do this, he just needs to hurry home. No stopping to chat this time, he promises himself.

He plugs in his earphones, lets the audiobook reader’s voice fill his brain. He wishes he’d discovered back at Samwell that he can actually get through a book if he's listening to it rather than reading it. Would have made studying that much easier.

He’s smiling at something in the Julia Child biography when his hurried feet hit a slick spot and he completely loses traction. Years of falling on ice have him instinctively tucking his arms in and falling correctly without breaking anything, but he still falls directly into a giant pile of freezing slush. _Fuck,_ he thinks but doesn’t say aloud. His bones feel jarred, but he shakes it off - he’s used to it, after all. He’s fine. Maybe his ankle hurts a little bit, okay, a lot, fuck. And maybe it's been the better part of a decade since he took a serious fall on ice - he's not counting any falls at family skate with Jack - but he's fine.

He’s only three blocks from home. It would be _ridiculous_ to call Jack and get a ride now, even though he’s _freezing._ In the back of his mind, he remembers the first aid training from summer camp, so long ago, and then his mind stutters over remembered words like _hypothermia_ and _frostbite._ But no, that’s just him freaking out, and being a Southern boy who’s a wimp in the cold. He’s _fine._

 

From the way Jack’s eyes bulge out, he’s not fine. And sure, okay, his teeth are chattering as he drops the backpack off in the kitchen and starts pulling off wet clothes. Jack’s hands are there immediately to help him.

“What happened, Eric?” Jack’s voice is fraught with anxiety.

“I fell,” Eric grumbles, kicking the wet laundry toward the washroom. “And now I’m going to take a bath and convince myself I don’t have hypothermia.”

Before he can move, though, he’s being lifted up into Jack’s arms. “I think that sounds like a good idea, but you’re limping.”

“The fall. I’m fine.” Still, he leans his cold cheek against Jack’s warm chest. “But I’m not going to complain.”

Jack stops in the bedroom on the way to the master bath and pulls the down comforter off the bed. He sets Bitty down in the bathroom and wraps him in the comforter before boosting him up on the counter. Bitty almost thinks Jack’s going to tell him to “stay” like he would command a dog, but he doesn’t, just kisses Bitty’s forehead and turns to start the bath. The curls of steam look divine, and Bitty shivers, burrowing himself better in the blanket.

Jack tosses in a handful of bath salts he uses for his own anti-anxiety baths, and then smiles, wrapping his arms around Bitty to transfer body heat as they wait for the bath to fill. He brushes a kiss over Bitty’s lips. “And how’s the internal riot act coming along? Do I need to scold you, or are you doing a good job of it already yourself?” he says with a sardonic twist of lips.

“Oh, I’m doin’ that just fine myself, sweet pea.” Bitty’s still not past grumbling, but Jack’s hands warming his are helping. “Should’ve called you. Shouldn’t have rushed. Et cetera, et cetera.”

“Well, give yourself until the end of the bath to stop beating yourself up. Once the water goes cold, you can’t negative self-talk anymore, okay?”

“Who is this wise old man and what has he done with my Jack?” Bitty jokes.

“I don’t know if you noticed, bud, but we got old.” Jack’s lips lift in a smile. “I’m practically hockey ancient.”

“Thirty-one is _not_ old, thank you very much, mister.” Bitty sticks out his tongue. "Thirty _-six_ on the other hand..."

Jack turns the water off, then brings Bitty up into his arms again and sets him gently in the steaming water. Bitty groans in pleasure and pain as his skin prickles with warmth.

“Not old, huh?” Jack’s eyes are twinkling. Bitty rests his head against the side of the tub and just kind of stares dreamily up at him. “How’s the fall treating you? Get right back up off your butt like you did when you missed a jump back when you were ten?”

“Ugh, screw you,” he replies, but with a smile on his lips. He takes Jack’s hand, presses a kiss to his wedding ring. “Do you have to watch tape tonight?”

“Yeah, but only for a little bit.” Jack echoes the kiss on Bitty’s ring. “You should come cuddle with me, and then we could watch a movie after.”

“That sounds delightful.”

Jack leans over to brush a kiss across Bitty’s forehead, and Bitty lets his eyes close, drifting, happy.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! <3


End file.
